It was just yesterday that summer was beginning and all these plans were being made to paint the house, finish the tile in the basement (some of you know the long history of this project), camp in the mountains, plant trees, bbq meat, hit some trails, teach EGB some foreign languages, do some reading, some writing, and pass gas. Well, the paint is still in the basement, bbq is in my teeth, EGB can count to 10 in 40 languages, and my shoes are dirty. We did some things right.
Before EGB was born there was a slew of projects to be done prior to her arrival. I remember the thoughts of impending doom that I anticipated would bring my life to a grinding halt and force me into a drooling basement dweller. That thankfully didn't happen and I became a drooling upstairs dweller instead. I don't even know what that means, but I hung out upstairs with a drooling fuzz monkey aka EGB for most of the next two years. One of the pre and post EGB projects became--me. The Dairy Queen in all of her infinite wisdom "requested" (polite husband speak for do-it-now or I'm going to make your ears bleed with my eyes) that I see a doctor and get onced over. I admit I'm historically poor at annual physical thing. Getting better post EGB, but my track record wasn't so hot. Anyway, the short recap of the visit was I was chunky. According to some antiquated ratio of weight to height=BMI I fit into the big boy category. Now I knew I wasn't heading to a motorized scooter anytime soon, but the doctor said get moving.
What can I say? I like to eat. It used to be some sort of subliminal mental game every I got ready to chow. Like a baseball batter stepping up to the plate. Going for a home run, every time. Buffet 3 times a day. Let's party. Double cheeseburgers for breakfast? No rules. Now this is fine if you're 16 and run around and all that, but for the sedentary--not so healthy.
So I changed. Not in the vein of vanity, but to feel armed and ready to battle. You never know what you're going to encounter with a kid. Who knows, but I knew I wanted to be able to chase, run, jump, with whatever came next.
So I ran on hiking trails.
I liked it. I like it.
I'm not going to go into it much more than that because this is a family blog dammit, not some running spiritual mumbo-jumbo blog. But just so you know, as I know most of you are suckers for a happy ending...It worked. I can run. I've hit the dirt hills as often as I can and climbed, scrambled, huffed and puffed for quite a few hours this summer. I've done things I used to marvel at others doing. I think a lot out there. Sometimes it's about deep heavy things. Other times it's about what's for dinner. When no one is looking sometimes I even beat my chest and say "strong body-strong mind" over and over to run up the hills. I've even screamed like Tarzan. I've gotten bitten by dogs. Stared at by rattlesnakes. Chased away deer. It can be blissfully mind numbing. A sanctuary of sorts. At some point in every run, I picture my beautiful wife and child. I know you're not there along my side. It's almost always a solitary mission, but know that I carry you always. I'm sure I'll never know why I truly do it, but I intend to keep going until I find out. Thank you for giving me the time and inspiration to change.
In some ways it's a new me. In other ways there is no me. I'm just a part of it all.
And I'll paint the house sometime.
Enough about me. EGB also hit the trails hard this summer. She's shaping up to be quite a trail runner herself. One time she was on the trail and a mountain lion came out to see what was going on. I screamed and yelled, "get baaaaaack!" EGB started tickling the lion and they ran away together into the sunset. She came home a couple of days later and told Otis our cat about what his wild brethren have been up to. Otis stares out the window a lot more these days.
Peep this EGB on the trail video for a glimpse at the next great runner of our time..... (emailers go to the blog to see it http://bohrmanfamily.blogspot.com/2010/09/its-september.html)
And why not throw in a picture too?
Get in the water. Fall is coming.
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Good job mom and dad. She's smelling Jeffrey Pines and identifying pine cones. She's got a job with the Santa Cruz Outdoor School in 20 years :) This video warms my heart :)
I know! She's like a speedy naturalist.
Squirrel!!!!!!!!!!!
Great to hear from ya
d,j,e
hey! we miss you guys! Seriously. I like that you wrote about yourself here, dave. I especially like the way you put it, "in some ways its a new me. sometimes there is no me." That really gets me. It's the perfect description of the experience. I know we all have our own, but that bigger than us feeling is one of the best in the world. I miss the trails. Today I wrote about humidity. But you know, wherever you are, that solitude is priceless. Keep on pounding.
ellen
P.S. I signed up for a real marathon. Ha!
Thanks. Writing about "me" with the thought that there really is no "me" sucks me into a vortex of confusion. That's what it's all about. Confusion. Sort a bit out. Confusion. Sort. Confuse.
A real marathon?!? whew, glad you didn't get sucked into one of those fake ones.
Run on sister and tell me what it's all about.
d
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